Treasure Richardson had to choose between staying in Edmonton to keep running her two popular Tin Box gift shops or joining her husband David in Calgary where he is taking over his family’s business.

She chose family over business and as a result The Tin Box store on High Street will close Jan. 12, followed by the Whyte Avenue location on Jan. 27. Both stores are holding sales to clear out merchandise.

“It’s going to be bittersweet on my end,” said Treasure, who, along with her then-fiancée, opened The Tin Box on Whyte in 2005 and the 124th Street shop in 2008.

David is taking over his father’s Charlesglen Toyota in Calgary, where the couple met when she was working for a firm developing a website for the dealership.

“When we met, he decided to move to Edmonton which got him out of the family business, which he’s now moving back to.”

Her husband’s Calgary opportunity coincided with leases expiring at The Tin Box stores so Treasure decided it was time for her to move too.

“My husband has been down in Calgary for almost two years and I have been going back and forth. When the lease came up, I just decided five more years was too much to be in different cities.”

She has not decided what she will do next, but returning to school is one possibility.

The jewelry, decor, housewares, stationery, specialty food and novelty stores are known for selling whatever caught the couple’s fancy at retail buying shows, from bacon-scented soap to apple butter barbecue sauce and eco-friendly handbags. The company also supported local and Canadian artists.

“It’s the uniqueness,” she said. “Nothing is a formula. We tried very hard to do those unique, hard-to-find gift ideas whether you’re buying for your son, your daughter, your aunt, uncle, Christmas or wedding, there was a gift we could fulfil — but not just the run-of-the-mill gifts you can get anywhere else.

“It was actually our mission to try and find something a little bit different and desirable.”

The stores are closing on a high note after one of their strongest years following some up-and-down times. About 20 full- and part-time staff work at the stores.

Tin Box regulars have taken the news hard, Treasure said, but she reminds them that the original Tin Box store in Canmore, owned by her husband’s sister and brother-in-law, Kari and Sean Meggs, is still open.

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